The Eda Building Materials Plaza in Jabi, Abuja, was closed on Monday after police fired tear gas to disperse #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters, leading to chaos that spread into nearby shops and caused both traders and customers to flee for safety.
According to eyewitnesses, the protest, which began peacefully, soon turned disorderly when police officers attempted to disperse the crowd chanting “Free Nnamdi Kanu!”.
Before converging near Jabi Plaza, the demonstrators had marched through Maitama, Berger, and Utako areas, where security operatives eventually intervened.
“The police started shooting tear gas everywhere, and people didn’t even know where to run,” said a trader who gave her name as Ngozi.
“Customers and protesters were all mixed together. We had to lock our shops and run out.”
Reports indicated that several tear gas canisters were fired into the busy commercial complex, with witnesses claiming that officers struggled to differentiate between protesters and ordinary bystanders.
Many people sustained minor injuries while trying to escape the dense smoke.
Following the incident, the management of Eda Plaza ordered an immediate closure of operations “to safeguard lives and property” and to avoid any further disturbance.
The demonstration formed part of a wider campaign calling for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021.
Security in parts of Abuja had already been heightened after earlier protests near the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) headquarters in Maitama, where police had also used tear gas to break up demonstrators.
At the time of reporting, normalcy had returned to the Jabi area, although several shops remained closed, and police patrols continued to maintain order and prevent further unrest.
